Critical assessment on the strategies of enhancing good governance in Local Government: a case of Thulamela Local Municipality

Abstract

This study examines strategies for improving good governance in South African local governments, with a focus on Thulamela Local Municipality in Limpopo Province. Quality services can only be provided by local governments if all of the principles of good governance are followed, including transparency, accountability, responsibility, the rule of law, participation, professional ethics, and so on. Poor governance in local governments led to an increase in violent incidents, a decrease in municipal service payments, corruption, misadministration, mismanagement of public funds, and a deterioration in service delivery. Local government officials no longer serve the public because good governance strategies are not effectively implemented; instead, public officials serve themselves. In this study, two population groups, municipal officials and community members, played a role in providing information about public services. Local governments, as stated in the Constitution, must strive to provide democratic and accountable government for local communities in order to ensure the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner, to promote social and economic development, and to promote a safe and healthy environment. The main argument of this study remains that local governments are failing to provide democratic and accountable government to local communities, and as a result, local communities continue to strike and burn infrastructure. This study employed a mixed research method that included both quantitative and qualitative research approaches. A mixed research method is advantageous because it can be integrated in such a way that qualitative and quantitative methods retain their original structures and procedures. In this study, a qualitative approach was used because it allows for openness to ideas, experiences, opinions, feelings, and research participants' perceptions. On the other hand, quantitative methods were used in this study, allowing the researcher to obtain results from a large number of respondents. The study employed an analysis research design, and the respondents were chosen using non-probability sampling and its subtype purposive sampling. There were two data collection methods used: research questionnaires and interviews. The researcher chose these two data collection instruments in order to obtain relevant information for the study. For this study, statistical and thematic data analysis methods were used. Furthermore, secondary and primary data sources were used to gather more information about good governance strategies in local governments. The major findings of the study are: ● Local government must provide basic services to local communities which they are entitled to. ● During municipal decision making processes, the level of community participation is very low. ● Full citizen participation should be implemented and encouraged to issues pertaining to service delivery. ● The relationship between community and municipality is not good as municipality officials do not respect those they represent. ● Education and training of ethics on municipality officials should be enforced effectively i.e. openness, accountability and responsibility. The following recommendations are therefore made based on the findings of the study ● The study recommends that the Municipality should ensure that all communities that fall under its jurisdiction have access to adequate basic service delivery. ● Communities should always be involved in all matters related to basic service delivery to improve their standard of living. ● The Municipality should give support, confidence to community members who owe municipal services, to pay their debts so that money can be utilised to improve the delivery of basic services and any official who uses such money for private gain should face the law. ● The researcher recommends that the Municipality should ensure that it has a good relationship with all communities that fall under its jurisdiction. ● The researcher recommends that accountability, responsibilities with corporal punishment to those who disobey the law must be enforced to all municipal officials; this has to do with answerability and blameworthiness.